Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Elvas Matthews

Xenia Police Department — Xenia, OH

Felonious

End of Watch December 21, 1922

Age 28

Tour of Duty 3 mo

Badge 1

The Vigil Panel 44 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 1

Incident

Officer Elvas Matthews was shot and killed while walking his beat in downtown Xenia. A suspect approached him from behind and shot him without provocation. The suspect was arrested a short time later after he boasted to friends that two notches on the butt of his pistol represented two dead police officers. It was determined that he had murdered Patrolman Emery McCreight, of the Wilmington Police Department, on February 15th, 1922. The suspect was convicted of Patrolman McCreight's murder and sentenced to life in prison on February 20th, 1923. He was paroled on July 30th, 1945. Officer Matthews had only served with the Xenia Police Department for three months. He is buried at Lawshe Cemetery, Adams County, Ohio.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-77761362
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Matthews served with the Xenia Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Xenia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Matthews.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Xenia Police Department

Location Xenia, OH

Platform Identity xpd.greene.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 21, 1922

Tour of Duty 3 mo

Age 28

Badge Number 1

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Paroled in 1945

Police Officer Elvas Matthews is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Xenia Police Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Xenia Police Department

of 2 officers

100% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Elvas Matthews's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Elvas Matthews Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

0.2

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

Offender Outcome

Paroled in 1945

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Elvas Matthews is highlighted in Dec.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Elvas Matthews was killed by gun; unknown type.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518

Others Who Wore This Badge

1 officer from Xenia Police Department are honored on badge.nw.